Donald Trump’s World Cup final entrance at the New York New Jersey Stadium was anything but smooth sailing, featuring a chorus of boos, a very public player snub, and even an awkward photobomb attempt. The US president, who largely stayed out of the spotlight for five weeks, made his big return for the Spain-Argentina final on Sunday, but the day’s drama went beyond the pitch.
The Crowd Chose a Side, Loud and Clear
When Trump, arriving via Marine One, took his VIP seat alongside Fifa president Gianni Infantino about 20 minutes before kickoff, he was shown on the stadium’s four big screens right after the American national anthem. The initial jeers were brief, but they were there. He was with Infantino and wife Melania, in a glassed-in section that also hosted Canadian leader Mark Carney and Mexican leader Claudia Sheinbaum. Later, about 15 minutes into the first half, Trump was shown the World Cup trophy in his box. But it was *after* the match, when Trump and Infantino walked onto the pitch for the trophy ceremony, that the boos really bellowed out. While maybe not as loud as when he was at Game 3 of the NBA Finals, that crowd noise still jumped from 78 decibels to 84 decibels, according to the White House pool report. You couldn’t miss it.
Players Saw Him, Then Looked Away
The drama wasn’t confined to the stands. Trump, as head of state for the predominant host country, joined Infantino in presenting medals to both Argentina and Spain players. But Argentina defender Cristian Romero, who plays for Tottenham, walked right past the US president without shaking his hand. Romero got his medal from Infantino, gave Sheinbaum and Carney a handshake, but completely ignored Trump. Even Spain’s Borja Iglesias, who has criticized Trump before and joked pre-match “I don’t want to go to prison,” shook Trump’s hand. Talk about a cold shoulder. Then came the finale: the trophy presentation. After an awkward moment a year prior where he lingered during Chelsea’s Club World Cup celebrations with Reece James, Trump tried to stay front-and-center here too. He lingered as Spain captain Rodri, the player of the tournament, received football’s ultimate prize. Trump even pulled out his famous YMCA dance move for a moment before Infantino looked to chaperone the 80-year-old to the side as he ran across the players. Rodri actually paused, showing some incredible patience, before finally lifting the trophy with Trump still awkwardly lingering on the edge of the jubilant Spanish squad.
What a day, right? Trump was on FOX before the match, saying the US needs to host another World Cup “immediately” while he’s “around,” telling Infantino to “hear that Gianni?!” Well, the US can’t host again until 2038 at the earliest, so that’s a long way off. After this World Cup final, you gotta wonder what kind of reception *that* event would get if he’s still around!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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